


Takedown

by astarryjelly



Series: Lila’s Takedown [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien is a sweetheart, Alya Salt, Angst, Class salt oops, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Good Parents Sabine Cheng & Tom Dupain, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi Lies, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Better, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Needs a Break, Mental Breakdown, Not Beta Read, Panic Attacks, Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain Ship It, Violence, no beta we die like men, sorry they suck in this, the lila takedown ppl have been asking for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29208969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astarryjelly/pseuds/astarryjelly
Summary: After Adrien finds out about Lila, they finally try to take her down. Of course, things don’t always go 100% to plan.(Sequel to Breakdown but can definitely be read as a stand alone. Would definitely make a bit more sense if you read the first one though)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Lila’s Takedown [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2144568
Comments: 36
Kudos: 367





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> yeah i definitely didn’t rlly proofread or edit this but like i wanted to get this up. i hope u guys enjoy lmfao. this took a bit of a darker turn? idk but i sorta like it? lila’s a little crazy in my brain.

Just as he promised, Adrien made his way to the bakery that morning, after convincing his bodyguard to take him. His hands shook by his side as he made his way to the door. 

Sabine and Tom were just inside, behind the counter. 

He knew deep inside that Sabine had seen him this morning and he tried to keep himself calm before he stepped inside. 

The bells in the front rang softly as the door slid open and Sabine whipped around quickly, prepared to greet what she thought was an early morning customer. 

Her face softened, however, when she laid eyes on the blonde boy. 

“Oh Adrien! Nice to see you again this morning,” She winked and he had to fight the blush from his face. “How are you dear?” 

“Oh uh, good morning Ms. Cheng, I’m good thank you for asking.” His chest was tight as he waited for the bluenette to make her way downstairs. 

“Oh please boy, I’ve already told you to call me Sabine. Marinette should be down in a minute if that’s who you’re waiting for, although you might wanna go get her yourself if you don’t want to be late for school. Feel free to head on up!” 

Warmth seemed to radiate from that woman, she was so kind and welcoming. In a way, it felt like he could trust her with his deepest darkest secrets. 

“Thank you Sabine.” He offered her a small genuine smile and made his way upstairs. 

He knocked on her door gently, receiving no response. Again. 

“Coming! One se- OOF.” There was a loud thud and then silence. 

“Marinette?!” 

He pushed the door open quickly, rushing into the room. The girl was sprawled across the floor, seeming to have tripped over nothingness. 

“Mari!” He ran to her side, dropping down beside the girl. 

“Mmm I’m ok.” She groaned, sitting up.

His hands slid around her and pulled her close. Pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“Good morning beautiful.” 

Her face lit up in red. 

“Good morning to you too, mon chaton. 

“Are you ready for today?” 

She shook her head. 

“Not really but, we’ll see.” 

He helped her up, watching her finish up getting ready. 

When she was done, she placed her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. 

“Let’s do this.” He smiled, and they made their way downstairs. 

The moment they made it back into the bakery, Sabine beamed at them. 

“Good morning Mari!” 

“Good morning maman!” She let his hand go, stepping forward to kiss her moms cheek. 

“Wow Marinette, I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time! Lila’s really taken a toll on you, but Adrien must be doing something special!” She laughed, turning to go back to work. 

The teens looked at each other, a blush creeping up their faces. 

“I plan on taking care of Lila sometime soon.” Adrien piped in. 

Tom looked at him, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“What do you mean ‘take care of’?” 

“She’s always made me really uncomfortable by like,” He looked off to the side anxiously. “I guess like touching me without my permission? And now that I know how she’s been treating Mari, I can’t just sit and let it happen anymore.” 

Tom’s eyes grew wide. 

“Adrien, dear, has she been sexually harassing you?” Sabine stepped closer to the group. “Let’s take a seat so we can talk about this.” 

The group moved to take seats, the teens across from the parents. 

“So Adrien, if you don’t mind, could you tell us what Lila has been doing to you?”

He looked at Marinette anxiously. She simply took his hand into hers, a sign of silent support. 

Tom and Sabine would have been swooning if they weren’t so upset. 

“I mean, she’s always hanging off of me. Like she’s literally left nail marks and bruises on my arms from how hard she holds me. During photoshoots, she goes out of her way to just like.” He cringed at his words. “feel me up? Even if she’s told not to and she goes against what we’re told to do at photoshoots. And one time she even got into my house and like kissed me without consent or anything. She actually sent that picture around to all the girls in my contact list, which led to my friend Kagami getting akumatized.” 

The older Dupain-Chengs sat in a shocked silence. 

“Wow. You’ve told her not to, right? Even if you haven’t it’s still not ok, but just as clarification.” Tom asked. 

Adrien nodded. 

“I told her to stop all the time when it first started and sometimes I end up in situations when I can’t say no, like photoshoots. She’s never asked if I was ok with it, and never listens when I say no, so eventually I just sorta gave up. I try not to respond to her or anything though.” 

“Adrien,” Sabine looked heartbroken. “I’m so sorry. What’s shes doing is absolutely sexual harassment, maybe even sexual assault. It is not ok at all. Have you considered getting your father involved?” 

“I’m afraid as of right now he won’t really do much. But maybe I’ll try.” Adrien gave a sad smile. “Well, we better get to school. Thank you so much, I appreciate having adults I feel like I can talk to in my life.” 

Tom and Sabine pulled the younger kids into a hug. 

“Of course Adrien, if you need anything ever, please let us know.” 

After a few moments, they pulled away, making their way to school. 

Their hands swung between the two of them as they walked anxiously. 

Finally, they made their way to the schools front doors. 

She turned to look at him, her eyes wide. 

“Hey, are you ok love?” He asked, tightening his grip on her. 

“What if something happens?” 

“It’s gonna be ok Marinette.” He spun her to stand in front of him and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. She was never a big PDA person but a little kiss couldn’t hurt anyone. 

Meanwhile, inside the classroom, the students seemed to be in a whole other world. 

“And he took me to this super romantic park and we sat under the trees and he turned and he kissed me. We stayed like that for so long, we ended up making out under the tree in front of the sunset in the park. And then Adrien wanted to go further, but I told him I didn’t want to due to my trauma from past experiences of sexual assault and he was just so respectful. I’m telling you, I have the world's best and most respectful boyfriend.” Lila ranted. “But please, he didn’t want me to tell you guys about this so can we keep it quiet. I don’t wanna make him upset.”

The class stood wide eyed and watching, seemingly entranced by the stories the brunette was spinning. 

“Wow, my girl Mari is going to be so crushed! But, I’m glad she’ll finally be able to move on from her creepy crush on Adrien. Besides, you and Adrien are perfect for each other! Right babe?” She turned to Nino. 

“I, uh, yeah! Sorry, I’m just shocked. I never knew he was so suave. I can’t believe my boy Adrien did that!” 

“I did what?” 

The class whirled around and froze.

There Adrien stood, in the doorway, his hand intertwined with none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

“Adrien wha-”

“Alya no!” Lila called out. 

The shorter girl took in a deep breath and sat back at her seat. 

Her eyes watched the couple carefully as Adrien skipped past his normal seat, moving to sit in the back with Marinette. 

He settled into the seat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. 

If looks could kill, the two would be dead right now. Marinette was accustomed to the class’s cold and harsh glares but Adrien couldn’t help but shift uncomfortably. Is this what Marinette felt like? He didn’t know how she was so strong, if he were her he probably would have given up on the class, and maybe school entirely, a long time ago. 

Rose opened her mouth, as if to say something, but at that exact moment, Ms. Bustier came barrelling into the classroom. She looked a bit of a mess, her hair and clothes disheveled. 

The couple in the back separated slightly, only allowing their hands in the middle to stay connected. 

“Ok, this will most likely be a shorter class, as I’ve had a rough morning. Um, Adrien, could you please move back to your seat so we can begin our lesson?” 

“Uh, actually Ms. Bustier, I was wondering if I could sit back here now. I don’t feel very comfortable around Lila and it’s causing me to fall behind in school. I’m sure you’re aware that if I fall too behind I will be removed from public schooling entirely and we surely don’t want that to happen.”

The woman seemed taken aback for a moment before simply smiling. 

“Why that doesn’t seem good. You’re welcome to sit back there Adrien, so long as you don’t get distracted.” A pout spread across Lila’s face, quickly replaced by a small smile.

They spent the whole class practically glued together, hands gripping each other tightly. 

He tried to fight off the growing anxiety that settled in his chest as he glanced around the classroom. Marinette seemed mostly nonchalant, paying no mind to the harsh looms thrown in her direction. 

“Ok class, today has been a rough morning for me. I think I’m just going to let you guys hang out in here and do as you please for the rest of class. Please, let me know if you have any questions.” Ms. Bustier spoke. 

There was a series of excited yeahs before things settled down. Ms. Bustier packed up some of her stuff and took her leave from the classroom temporarily. Of course, this only exponentially increased Adrien’s anxiety, so much could happen in just those few minutes. 

Most of the class seemed to stick to Lila’s word and chose not to bug the couple, but Alya just couldn’t hold herself back. 

“WHAT THE FUCK GUYS!” She yelled, storming up the staircase to where the two sat. 

The class froze. Marinette jumped back, curling in on herself. She brought her arms up protectively to cover her chest, trembling in her seat. 

Adrien placed a gentle hand on her thigh, trying to somewhat calm her down. 

The rest of the class sat with shaken expressions on their faces. They knew Alya was mad, but Lila specifically asked that no one bring it up. 

Speaking of Lila, the brunette sat, teary eyed.

“Alya! Please don’t!” She called, fake tears pouring down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry Lila, I know you asked us not to bring it up, but I can’t just sit here and let him cheat on you in front of the whole class!” 

“Cheat?” Adrien asked, staring up at the girl with bewilderment. 

“Yes! You’re dating Lila! Yet here you sit, all cuddled up with Marinette!” 

“I’m not cheating on Lila! We aren’t even dating!” 

“Oh so now your girlfriend is lying?” 

“NO! My girlfriend is Marinette, NOT LILA!” 

“Speaking of Marinette,” Alya reached forward, grabbing the bluenette’s wrist and yanking her out of her chair to stand in front of her. “you should know better Mari. I knew you were a bad person, but I didn’t think you would stoop so fucking low. I know you’ve liked Adrien for a long time, but to steal him from Lila? That’s low, even for you.” 

Marinette was already clearly having a hard time breathing, her breaths coming out in uneven pants, salty tears pouring down her face as she sobbed. 

“Alya, babe, I think you need to relax.” Nino spoke, approaching his girlfriend. He knew things were going too far. 

“NO! Not until Marinette answers me! Why did you steal Lila’s boyfriend?”

“Alya let her go!” Adrien tried to step forward, only to be stopped by Kim’s strong hands on his shoulders, holding him back. 

He could only watch as the class tortured his Lady. They had usually gone out of their way to keep anything physical away from Adrien, knowing that even if he liked Lila, he was too kind to let them hurt Marinette how they wanted. 

Alya pushed her back until her back hit the wall, her grip never leaving her wrist. The bluenette wouldn’t stop hyperventilating, struggling to stand upright. 

“Mari…” He couldn’t stop the tears on his face. Kim held him tight by the shoulders. 

“Alya stop! It’s not her fault! They’re just covering for us!” Lila cried, trying and failing to hide her smile. 

“No! What she’s doing is not ok! She’s my best friend and I need to know!” She raised a hand to the girl, bringing it behind her head for a slap. Just then, she felt something wet on her finger tips. 

_Blood_

Blood, dripping through Marinette's sleeve onto the floor, smudged against the tan skin of Alya’s fingers. 

She stumbled backwards a few steps, the whole class in shock. 

They had been physical with Marinette many times in the past, yet never had they seen her bleed the way she was right now. 

Adrien took the class’s shock as a moment to run. He pushed back on Kim, stepping forward and scooping the sobbing girl into his arms. 

It was obvious she was having a panic attack, her body trembling in his arms. 

“You guys went too far. Fuck ALL OF YOU!” He yelled, making his way out of the classroom with the girl. 

He passed Ms. Bustier in the hallway, but she seemed too preoccupied in talking with Principal Damocles to really notice anything off. 

He carried her all the way to the locker room before placing her on the ground carefully. 

He cradled her against his chest. 

“Mari, baby, I need you to show me your wrist.” He murmured, stroking her head gently. 

She was still struggling to breathe. 

“Ok ok, copy my breathing. In… out… in… out.” 

After a solid 10 minutes of breathing she finally gained control of herself. 

She peeled the sticky fabric away from her arm, rolling it up. 

There was five nail marks, small cuts on her wrist, alongside an array of cuts that had seemed to reopen. 

He let a light sigh escape his lips. 

“Ok, it’s ok. Can I clean you up?” He asked. 

She nodded carefully, readjusting herself to sit against the wall when he slid away. 

She was lucky they were both superheroes and kept small first aid kits with them. 

He carried the tiny box back to where she was seated, along with a blanket he kept in his locker for late night or cold photoshoots. 

He wrapped the blanket around her, letting her nuzzle into it. He pretended not to notice her sniff it, taking in his scent. 

He cleaned up the cuts, placing a large bandage across the whole inner wrist. He kissed the bandage lightly. 

“I love you Marinette.” 

“I love you too Adrien.” 

He held her tightly, rubbing up arms gently. 

“Bugaboo, I know this is your things but uh, I think I have some sort of plan.” 

She looked up at him. 

“Well…”

He explained it carefully, still holding the girl. Her eyes widened in surprise at his suggestion, but she nodded along. 

After a few minutes, the blonde stood up, taking in a breath. 

“Plagg! Claws out!” He was enveloped in a green light, and suddenly before her stood Chat Noir. He bent down again, helping her up. 

Her hand came up to his head, rubbing his ears gently. He tried to fight the purr that rumbled its way out of his chest but it was useless. 

“Thank you, mon chaton.” She kissed him lightly, relishing in the way he held her tighter. 

After a few moments, the two of them made their way back outside. If all went to plan, they would run into Ms. Bustier right about

Now

She stood in the hallway, still speaking with Damocles. The hero approached slowly, one arm still around the bluenette’s shoulder. He couldn’t get too comfortable, Chat Noir and Marinette weren’t dating. 

At least, not as far as the public knew. 

“Um, excuse me, Principal Damocles, Ms. Bustier.” 

The adults turned to him in shock, eyes widening at the sight of Paris’ very own superhero standing in front of them. 

“Oh! Chat Noir, what are you doing here? Is there another akuma?” He could feel the panic rising in her throat.

“No ma’am, thankfully. Instead, I am here as I’ve been told there’s been some bullying going on. I was passing by, just on a morning stroll, when Adrien Agreste waved me down. He was really concerned and said that his class had been bullying his girlfriend and he was really afraid she was going to get akumatized.” He spoke smoothly. 

“I haven’t noticed any bullying going on with Lila?” She looked perplexed. 

“I’m afraid Lila is the issue. According to Adrien, she was essentially the ringleader. She lied about dating him, for attention, and to hurt his actual girlfriend, Ms. Dupain-Cheng.”

“I thought you said she was a good student?” Damocles looked over at Caline, eyes wide. 

“I- I thought she was?” 

“I’m afraid not. Ladybug and I have also had to deal with her multiple times which, while not impossible, is not common. She seems to often be the instigator, if not, and I hate to say this, possibly intentionally getting akumatized. It’s a theory my Lady and I have been throwing around for quite a while.” 

“I have no words.” The teacher looked to be on the brink of tears, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. 

“Currently, Adrien Agreste is in the locker room, discussing with his father possible consequences for Lila, as she’s been sexually harassing him for quite some time. I have to ask that you let him have his personal time, as it seemed like an extremely tough discussion. Also, please avoid mentioning he was the one who brought me here, as we’d like to avoid any extra danger.” 

The adults just nodded. 

“Um, would you care to one to our classroom to aid in this discussion? If Lila is as bad as you are saying she is, I would feel safer having one of Paris’ heroes here to protect us.” 

The leather clad hero merely nodded, following the two adults into the classroom. He kept a solid grip on Marinette, trying to keep her grounded. She told him she would be ok, but he knew a situation like this was going to be anxiety inducing for her. 

The classroom was in an uproar, yelling and shouting could be heard from a few feet from the door. 

The moment it creaked open, however, everything fell silent. The teens glanced upon their class. 

Chloe looked genuinely upset, Lila’s eyes and lips told a different story. The brunette had tears still running down her face, a smirk written across her cheeks that she tried to cover with a hand. Most shockingly of all, Alya. 

The reporter sat in her chair, her head downcast. Her right hand was still covered in blood, her face looking heartbroken. Adrien wanted to feel bad for her. 

“Chat Noir?” Nino questioned. 

Finally, they made it to the front of the classroom, and that is when Caline spoke up. 

“Excuse me class, we have some extremely serious stuff to talk about right now.” 

“I’m highly disappointed in all of you.” Damocles scolded. 

“Wha-” Alix started. 

“I was called here today because of bullying.” Chat interrupted.

The word bullying sent chills up the spines of the entire class. 

“Your friend Adrien Agreste is currently in the locker room, on the phone with his father to discuss possible consequences for sexual assault/harrsssment. You see, your dear classmate here, has been sexually harassing Adrien for quite a while now.” 

“That’s such a lie!” Lila interrupted. “I’ve never done anything like that to him! He’s my boyfriend!” 

“Lila Rossi, I ask that if you’re going to lie in the presence of a superhero please be good at it.” Marinette finally spoke up. 

She gasped loudly. 

“I AM TELLING THE TRUTH!” She started to cry again. “That fact that you’re accusing me like this really really hurts! I’ve dealt with sexual assault in the past and it’s not something to joke about.” 

“I’m not saying you haven’t, Lila, but there is photographic evidence of it.” 

Finally, it felt good to be in control again. Marinette took in a breath. 

“When we went to the locker room, after I had a panic attack,” She sent a sideways glare at Alya as she spoke. “Adrien and I talked about what had been going on. He knew he wanted to talk to his dad, so when Chat showed up he sent me these photos so I could show them to the class.” She plugged her phone in, connecting it to the projector. 

The first image on the screen was Adrien’s arm, covered in finger shaped bruises and nail indents. The next, from a photoshoot. Adrien looked visibly uncomfortable, Lila’s hands rubbing up his chest. Lastly, the photo of when Lila got into his house. Her lips were pressed to him, an awkward look on his face. 

“That last photo wasn’t consensual, those were not the instructions for the photoshoot, and that was what Adrien’s arm looked like after a school day with Lila hanging off of him.” 

“Those are so fake!” Lila cried. 

For the first time in what felt like forever, people seemed to be questioning her. 

“Are you saying your ’boyfriend’ lied to Chat Noir about you? Because, if you were dating, which you’re not, that doesn’t sound very boyfriendly of him.” 

“I just- I mean- MARINETTE IS JUST MANIPULATING HIM! AND US! She’s feeding us lies!” 

The class blew up, yelling and shouting filling the room. 

Chat covered the bluenette’s ears, trying to prevent her from getting overwhelmed. 

“I don’t think she is.” Alya spoke softly. 

Everything came to a halt. Chat’s hands fell from Marinette’s ears, turning to Alya in shock. 

“What did you say?” Lila asked in disbelief. 

“I said, I don’t think that Marinette is lying or manipulating us.” Her voice was hoarse, rae from crying. She kept staring down at her bloody hand. 

“Of course she is! Do you really think that I would sexually harass someone?” 

The class fell unusually silent. 

“You do? Would Jagged Stone write a song about sexual harasser?” She asked. 

“OH YEAH! About that!” Marinette laughed. 

She pulled out her phone, pressing something before holding it to her ear. It rang a few times before,

“Hi Uncle Jagged! Really quick, do you mind if I put you on speaker with my class, it’s really important!” 

“Of course! Go ahead!” 

She pulled the phone from her ear, placing it on the table and setting it on speaker. 

“Ok again, hi uncle Jagged!”

“Hi! How’s my favorite honorary niece doing?”

“I’m good I’m good! Uh Chat Noir is also here with us!”

“Chat? Dude that’s so rock and roll!”

“Uh excuse me dude, I mean, Jagged Stone sir. Have you ever had a kitten before?” Nino asked. 

The room seemed to hold its breath. 

“HAHAHAH! No way! Kittens just don’t match the rock and roll vibe! Also, Penny is allergic to them. The only pet I’ve ever really had is my crocodile Fang.” 

“So that means you’ve never met a girl named Lila Rossi? Or written a song about her?” 

“Lila Rossi? Uh, no? I’ve never heard of her before. The only people I’ve ever written a song about are Ladybug and Chat Noir. Besides, if she’s in your class, wouldn’t that make her a teenager? I would never write a song about a teenager.”

“Uh, ok thank you Uncle Jagged! I’ll see you soon to work on those new designs! Bye bye!” 

“Bye Mari.” 

She hung up the phone, looking back at the class. 

“I’m sorry!” Lila sobbed. “I have a lying disease!” 

“Also false. I checked with the nurse, because this school is horrible at handling their students. It was a long time ago but I didn’t bring it up because I didn’t want to get attacked. You don’t have any actual lying disease. You just made these lies up for attention.” 

“SO FUCKING WHAT!” Lila screamed. 

Chat kept an eye out for an akuma, the whole class frozen in their seats. 

“SO FUCKING WHAT IF I LIED, IF I BULLIED YOU. YOU’RE A NOBODY! YOU DON’T DESERVE ADRIEN! YOU FUCKING LYING CUTTER SUICIDAL BITCH. AT LEAST IM NOT SOME PSYCHO SUICIDAL FREAK WHO HURTS HERSELF!” 

Marinette froze, her heart dropping into her chest. 

Adrien had to fight the urge to 1) Cataclysm Lila on the spot 2) Pull the bluenette into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head and stroke her back.

Now is not the time. 

“Ok, enough!” 

He stepped forward, moving towards Lila. But, she ducked under him, grabbing the scissors off her desk and charging Marinette. 

The bluenette panicked, trying to protect herself. 

The other girl grabbed the half asian by her throat, pushing her against the wall. 

The rest of the class shot up, running to go help their friend, only to be stopped by Damocles and Bustier. 

“Don’t get involved, we don’t want to make things worse.” Caline spoke softly. 

Lila raised the scissors to Marinette, first, placing one slice across the side of the girl’s shoulder then winding back as if to stab her. 

“Lila please don’t.” Chat spoke. 

“SHE RUINED EVERYTHING! I DESERVE EVERYTHING!” Just as she was about to swing, Marinette kicked out. She jutted her legs out just enough to hit Lila’s shin. 

The brunette was off balance just long enough for Marinette to flip their positions, holding her pinned against the wall. You could hear a pin drop. 

Then she whispered. 

“Chat, help me.” It was so quiet, as if she didn’t trust herself to be loud. 

She tried to calm herself, steady her breathing. She needed to be strong right now. 

Chat was by her side instantly. 

He pulled the scissors from the brunettes hands and took her from Mari. 

He held Lila roughly, keeping her stable. 

“Sabrina Raincomprix is in this class right? Please, Sabrina I need you to call your father right now. Get the police.” 

His eyes were still trained for an akuma, but it seemed weirdly calm? 

It was only a short time before the police arrived, taking the brunette into custody. 

The moments after we’re utter chaos. 

It was silent for a moment, until Marinette broke down. She collapsed to the floor, hyperventilating and sobbing. Her wails were just heartbreaking, loud and broken. A large series of apologies were thrown at Marinette, who was still reeling from almost being stabbed. People on all sides yelling and reaching out for her. 

She moved forward into Chat, clearly overwhelmed. 

He lifted her up with ease, cradling her against his strong chest. He made his way to Ms. Bustier, who was trying to quiet and calm the class down. 

“Excuse me, Ms. Bustier, I’m going to take her back to the locker room. I have a feeling she needs to be somewhere quiet and her boyfriend can probably calm her down better than anyone in here.” 

The girl had not stopped shaking and sobbing. 

He carried her out of the classroom and into the locker room. He placed her on the floor and defransformed. 

“Mari Mari, I’m here. It’s ok. You’re ok.” 

He placed a hand on her cheek, guiding her to look at him. 

“Can you try to take in a deep breath? Just one. In and then release.” 

She tried to mimic him. Eventually her breathing evened out, but she was still crying. They had never put away the first aid kit so he quickly patched up the new cut on her shoulder. 

“I love you.” He whispered. 

She couldn’t even respond, just leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his neck. He helped her up, aiding her in standing on her own two feet. 

Her hand never left his as he helped her walk down the hallway. 

“You don’t have to go in ok? I’m just gonna go get our stuff.” She nodded, but never released her grip on his hand. 

“Are you sure?” 

She just nodded, clutching onto his arm. 

He pressed the door open slowly, peeking his head in. 

“I need you guys to be quiet ok? I’m taking Marinette home and I came to get her stuff. None of us are in a position to really talk about this right now.” 

The class nodded and he guided Marinette back into the room. 

“I hope this is ok with you Ms. Bustier.” 

She gasped. 

“Of course! Please, today has been extremely traumatic. I don’t blame anyone if they choose to go home today. As a matter of fact, I’ll speak to Principal Damocles, once Adrien and Marinette have left we’ll have a little discussion and then you will all be free to go home. Today has been a lot, for all of us.” 

Adrien nodded, gathering his and Marinette's stuff. He placed the blanket over her shoulders and reached out, letting her hop onto his back in a piggy back. 

“Thank you for being so understanding Ms. Bustier.” He smiled, making his way out of the classroom. 

As he made his way down the stairs, he noticed Marinette seemed to be spaced out. Her eyes stared unfocused off into the distance, her head tucked into the crook of his neck. 

He carried her to the bakery, going through the front door, as it was quicker. 

Thankfully, the shop was mostly empty. 

“Oh Adrien!” Sabine called. “My dear, what happened?” 

He stopped in front of her, letting her place a tiny hand on his cheek. God, this whole family just radiated such warmth. 

“We can go into more detail later, but I don’t think discussing it now would benefit Marinette. Essentially, Lila was finally exposed. Things got a bit dangerous, but she's finally taken care of.” 

“I see dear, thank you for taking care of our daughter.” She smiled, moving back to go work. 

Tom ruffled his hair a bit. 

“You’re a great kid Adrien.” 

Adrien couldn’t help but feel the warmth spread through his chest. 

“Thank you. Truly, thank you both.” He flashed them a real, genuine smile, before making his way upstairs.


	2. Talking it Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they're finally safe, Adrien, Marinette, and her parents have a heart to heart. Some things are revealed that change their relationship forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok boom! I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I'll probably do one more that's just about what happened to Lila afterwards and also them talking with their "friends"

He sat down carefully on the chaise, removing her body from his. 

She instantly curled back in on herself, silent tears still lingering on her face. Her face was red and irritated, her eyes swollen and tired looking as she stared off into space. 

He searched around her room, looking for something to clean her arm. It wasn;t too bad but it wouldn’t hurt to clean and bandage it. 

He noticed a small first aid kit sitting on her desk. Inside were a few things, but he grabbed a wipe and a bandage.He made his way back to her. 

“This may be a bit uncomfortable.” He spoke softly. She simply nodded. 

He wiped the cut down and placed the bandage over the cut. Once the cut was carefully covered, he leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her shoulder before shifting up and kissing her lips. Her hand touched his jaw softly as she leaned into the affection. 

Once he pulled away she caved in on herself, holding her knees to her chest tightly. He placed his blanket back over her and quickly slid backwards, settling in beside her. His left arm slung across her shoulders, cuddling her against his sturdy chest. 

“How do you feel Marinette?” He asked gently, his hand rubbing comforting circles across her arm.

No response. He looked down at her, noticing her wide bluebell eyes staring up at him. 

“Do you wanna talk or just no?” 

She shook her head. 

He silently thanked his knowledge of Ladybug for this moment. He had learned little things about her over their time, like how she sometimes struggles to speak when she gets particularly overwhelmed. 

“Ok, well do you want me to keep talking with you or do you wanna watch tv? Or maybe, lay down?”

Her body twisted around, pulling away to sit in front of him. She held up three fingers before reaching her arms out towards him, as if asking for a hug. Her arms were extended in front of her, her hands flexing and relaxing as if grabbing something. He cracked a small smile, lifting her up, he let her straddle his lap. her face instantly slid into the crook of his neck, her hands gripping at the back of his shirt tightly. Soft, big, hands slid up the back of her shirt, soothingly rubbing her back. 

“You know I love you right?” He murmured against her hair. 

He felt her lips press against his neck softly. A silent expression of her love for him. He fought back the red on his face and laid back against the chaise. 

Marinette would fall asleep sooner or later. As well as he knows Ladybug, he also knows how to pick up on when she’s tired. The poor bluenette never seems to sleep, and he’s watched as Ladybug took a nap during patrol his fair share of times, protecting her from anything that may come by while she rests. 

Sure enough, shortly after, her grip on his clothes loosened, her body growing heavier on top of him. Every so often she would readjust, holding him tighter. 

She must have been exhausted. She fell asleep quickly and seemed to be in a deep sleep. Man, she needed it right now. 

Once he knew she was asleep, the first thing he did was pick up their phones. Both of them had been blowing up since they left. Marinette had numerous messages from the whole class, especially Alya. Adrien had a few from a few students, but multiple from Nino. He wanted Marinette to have her privacy. He simply made sure that her phone was on mute before tossing it off to the side to forget about for a bit. He opened his phone, scrolling to Nino’s name. 

**Nino: Holy fucking shit dude. I’m so so so sorry we didn’t notice she was crazy sooner. She’s literally insane.**

**I know you weren’t in the room so if you want me to sort of fill you in on everything that happened I can. Idk if CN already did that though,,,**

**Anyways, can we try to find time to talk soon? All four of us, Mari included. There’s just a lot.**

The blonde sighed, looking down at the petite girl in his arms. She looked so small. She carried herself with a strength, whether or not that was real was up for debate, but here she looked so miniature. He knew she was small, at least a full head shorter than him with a petite frame to match, but he felt like he could squeeze her and she would simply crumble in his arms. She had been through so much. Was he really willing to put her through something else? Even just talking about it could be highly triggering, understandably, she literally almost got stabbed. 

**Adrien: Hey dude, whether or not we talk is up to Marinette. She’s asleep right now, she’s really rough, but I’ll ask her later. I really hope you guys understand.**

**Nino: no no ofc! Tell Mari to take her time, she owes no one any forgiveness or anything, myself included. What happened was completely FUCKED UP and she has every right to be upset with anyone really. Just let me know whatever Mari says eventually and I’ll tell Alya.**

**She’s been going crazy recently. Mari hasn’t been answering her phone and Alya is a fucking wreck.**

**Adrien: Yeah she’s sleeping right now but she’s been a bit of a mess recently. I think she’s trying to avoid her phone right now because everything is a bit overwhelming.**

**Nino: Yeah I totally get it. Thanks dude, and I hope Marinette feels better soon.**

He placed his phone down, sighing gently. He looked down at the girl in his arms, who seemed to be finally waking up again. 

“Mmm Adrien?” She asked. 

Her voice was low and hoarse, her throat clearly raw from crying. Midnight toned hair was thrown messily across her face and shoulders, half out of its usual pigtails. 

“Hello there.” He smiled gently, running his hand through her messy locks. 

She looked around for a minute, clearly confused, before everything finally settled in with her. Her eyes grew wide, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. 

“She’s finally gone?” It all seemed to finally settle with her. 

“She’s gone, Bugaboo. She’s in police custody right now.”

He watched as she rose, stretching out her limbs. She still had this hollow feeling to her, but there was a slight tilt in her smile that let a little bit of that happiness shine through. 

“Can we go downstairs and get some stuff from the bakery? I’m in a bit of a better mood and I think some croissants could really help. Also, uh, you don’t have to or anything but… I think I wanna reveal my identity to my parents.” 

The boy looked over at her perplexed. 

“You do? Are you sure?”

“I think it’ll really help relieve some of the stress. Constantly lying and trying to sneak around them. They trust me, and I trust them. I think it’s time.”

He thought for a moment. “I want to reveal too. I mean, I trust your parents. I want to have adults I can turn to as well, especially since I can’t really talk to my dad.” His glance fell to the side awkwardly, a hand running through his hair. 

“Adrien…” She cooed, taking a few steps forward. She held his head against her chest, stroking his hair softly. 

He let out a somber chuckle. “Wasn’t I supposed to be the one taking care of you?” Her grip on him tightened. 

“Hey, you know I’m always here for you right? No matter what.” 

Nodding, he rose, following her down the stairs and into the bakery. Their fingers were intertwined, swinging between them slowly. 

The bakery was entirely empty, seemingly closed down for the day. Everything was cleaned and out away. 

“Maman? Papa?” The bluenette called. There was the rushing sound of soft footsteps before a familiar figure appeared around the corner.

“Marinette!” Sabine called, quickly pulling the bluenette into a tight hug. “Oh baby! We’re so glad you’re ok!” 

Tom quickly came and joined, wrapping his massive arms around the group. The blond stood off to the side, rubbing his arm awkwardly. 

“Adrien, my boy, come on in here.” A warm voice spoke. 

Tom extended a large arm, opening up the hug to the young blond. He stepped forward, letting himself indulge in the warmth of the hug. 

Even if only for a brief moment, everything felt like it was gonna be ok. He knew that eventually, things were going to get bad again, he wasn’t always going to be able to protect her. But here and now, watching her smile up at her family - _at him_ \- he felt at peace. 

And then,

“Marinette darling, if you don’t mind, could you both tell us what happened at school? We received a call from Principal Damocles basically just apologizing to us for what happened, but he didn’t really explain anything? He just said that Lila had been taken into custody?” Sabine questioned.

The girl froze, eyes growing wide.

Adrien held his hand out, letting his girlfriend latch onto him. He gave her hand a tight squeeze, trying to keep her grounded. 

“Uh, I think it still might be a bit much for her,” Adrien supplemented after a pregnant pause. “but why don’t we try to just sit down and talk for a bit?” 

The adults just nodded, leading the teens to their living room and settling them in on the couch. Marinette sat beside Adrien, curled in on herself. She leaned against his side, eyes focused on something far in the distance. He, in a weird way, felt anger rise in his chest. 

She was doing so well. Why did they have to bring it up and ruin it. 

But no, they were just like him. 

They wanted what was best for her. He took in a deep breath, it quickly catching in his throat when finally she spoke. 

“I’m Ladybug.” She whispered. 

You could feel the tension spread through the room, so thick that even the world’s strongest pair of scissors couldn’t cut it. The two adults froze.

“You’re what?” Tom asked, equally as quiet as his daughter. Sabine looked as if she was going to burst into tears at any moment, her hand covering her mouth. 

“I’m Ladybug, one of Paris’ superheroes.” She was louder this time. 

“Uh, and I’m Chat Noir!” He squeaked afterwards. 

“You are?” Tom looked incredulous.

“I wanted to tell you guys because I can really trust you and keeping everything secret has been really hard, especially with Lila and everything. I really wanted you to know. Yes, I’m being as safe as possible, no, I have no plans on stopping any time soon.” She seemed to be gathering herself, putting on Ladybug’s strong face of confidence. 

“And Adrien is Chat?” The mother questioned.

“Yes. I can’t exactly go to my father with this kind of stuff, and you guys are probably the adults I trust most in my life. I really wanted someone I could turn to, and someone who could support both of us.” 

Tom smiled at them, a proud warm smile. Only taking a moment before suddenly bursting out laughing. He clutched his stomach, peeling over. He laughed for what felt like ages, the rest of the group staring back at him in confusion. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” He wiped the tears from his eyes, taking in a few deep breaths. “It’s just, Marinette lied about having a crush on Chat Noir! Which got me akumatized!” And suddenly he was crying laughing again. “And my guess is that you probably didn’t even know each other’s identities then! You guys have been going back and forth for ages!” This time Sabine joined in on the laughter, finally catching on to what her husband was saying. 

“OH! The whole of Paris knows that Chat had a huge crush on Ladybug, but she never seemed to return the affection. I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole world knew about Marinette’s massive crush on Adrien, but she used to come home and complain that she didn’t think Adrien liked her all the time! But you’re the same people!” 

The teens sat on the couch, their faces flaming red. 

“Ok ok we get it! We were in a love square with only two people!” Marinette raised her hands in the air.

Once the Dupain-Chengs finally calmed down, they looked back at the kids seriously. 

“Ok ok Marinette, Adrien, can you tell us about what happened at school today?” Sabine spoke after a few breaths. 

“Uh, it’s a long story but basically,”

They explained the full story to the parents. 

“The basics are that Lila lied about Adrien dating her and Alya grabbed me and made me bleed so when we confronted her she grabbed a pair of scissors and she-” Her word caught in her throat. She looked off to the side, fighting off tears. 

Her hand slid upwards, letting her hide her face in her chest. His hand rubbed her back and he had to fight off the urge to just melt into a flushed puddle at doing this in front of her parents. 

Slowly, they could see Marinette beginning to cave in on herself. All of them knew of her self harming tendencies and they desperately wanted to try to keep her safe.

“She took scissors and ran at Marinette. She managed to cut her arm before she got taken down. Maybe at a later date we can go into details but I think Marinette needs a break.”

Once her parents knew the basics -they spared them most of the details- Adrien decided he needed to get marinette out of there. 

“Ok, I think I’m going to take Marinette back upstairs.” He spoke. 

The girl seemed worn out to say the least. It pained him to watch her go from some sort of happiness to seeming empty again. 

“Ok, thank you Adrien. Really, it means a lot to us. Thank you for being there for our girl, especially when we can’t.” Sabine spoke, watching her daughter nearly drift off. 

“Of course. She’s important to me, it’s the least I can do.”

Sabine had to fight the urge at how cute the boy was. He slid his hands under the smaller girl, cradling her to his chest. 

“I’d do anything for my lady.” He whispered, before making his way back up to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! I really really wanna do one more that's just about what happened to Lila afterwards and also them talking with their "friends" and stuff. I don't have a beta so I'm sure there are a ton of mistakes so I'm sorry. I hope you enjoyed though and I love kudos and comments especially!

**Author's Note:**

> ok so like this could end here but i think i wanna make another chapter of just apologies and comfort and stuff. for reference, i imagine mari’s sorts panic attacks/break down at the end to be similar to kotomi ichinose’s from clannad during the bus scene. anyways i really hope you guys enjoy though!! i literally live and breathe comments and kudos so those are always appreciated <3


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